Although only a few people per county qualified for a settlement, the application papers of the Southern Claims Commission typically include questions mentioning '''hundreds of their neighbors'''. Neighbors of all races, and classes were questioned and discussed in these records.

+

[[Image:{{SCCmap}}]]Although only a few people per county qualified for a settlement, the application papers of the Southern Claims Commission typically include questions mentioning <u>hundreds of their neighbors</u>. Neighbors of all races, and classes were questioned and discussed in these records.

Southerners from the 12 states of [[Alabama in the Civil War|Alabama]], [[Arkansas in the Civil War|Arkansas]], [[Florida in the Civil War|Florida]], [[Georgia in the Civil War|Georgia]], [[Louisiana|Louisiana]], [[Mississippi in the Civil War|Mississippi]], [[North Carolina in the Civil War|North Carolina]], [[South Carolina in the Civil War|South Carolina]], [[Tennessee in the Civil War|Tennessee]], [[Texas in the Civil War|Texas]], [[Virginia in the Civil War|Virginia]], and [[West Virginia in the Civil War|West Virginia]] qualified to file claims before the Southern Claims Commission (SCC) between 3 March 1871 and 3 March 1873 based on the fact they:

#were loyal to the Union during the Civil War

#were loyal to the Union during the Civil War

−

#had quartermaster stores or supplies '''''officially''''' taken by or furnished to the Union Army during the rebellion

+

#had quartermaster stores or supplies taken by or furnished to the Union Army during the rebellion

−

Southern Loyalists (those who were Union sympathizers) made 22,298 claims for property losses totaling $60,258,150.44. However, only 7,092 claims (32%) were approved for settlements totaling $4,636,920.69. Each claimant sought to prove their loyalty and loss through the testimony of others. The paper trail created by the claimants and the people who came forward to testify, for or against a claimant, provide a wealth of information about individuals living in the South during the Civil War.

+

While only losses incurred in the twelve states in rebellion at the beginning of the Civil War qualified many claims were made from other states by individuals that claimed to reside in the qualifying states during the war. As a result, records from a total of 24 states and the District of Columbia appear in the "Barred and Disallowed Case Files of the Southern Claims Commission, 1871-1880" (NARA M1407) records.

+

+

Southern Loyalists (those who were Union sympathizers) made 22,298 claims for property losses totaling $60,258,150.44. However, only 7,092 claims (32%) were approved for settlements totaling $4,636,920.69. Each claimant sought to prove their loyalty and loss through the testimony of others. The paper trail created by the claimants and the people who came forward to testify, for or against a claimant, provide a wealth of information about individuals living in the South during the Civil War.<ref>St. Louis County Library website, "[http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/scc/scc-main.htm Researching Southern Claims Commission Records]" (accessed 1 April 2009)</ref>

=== Content of the Records ===

=== Content of the Records ===

−

Southern Claims Commission records may include information about people of all classes, all races, all political/military&nbsp;backgrounds, and explain their relationships potentially including:

+

Southern Claims Commission records may include information about people of all classes, all races, all political/military backgrounds, and explain their relationships potentially including:

*personal descriptions, and accounts of events during the war

*personal descriptions, and accounts of events during the war

Line 23:

Line 26:

=== Strategy for Finding Ancestors ===

=== Strategy for Finding Ancestors ===

−

The most effective strategy is to search '''all''' the Southern Claims Commission records for '''everyone living in the same Southern county''' as an ancestor. Any particular ancestor is unlikely to have actually applied to the Commission (only 0.2 percent of population), but he or she is more likely to have testified (2.3 percent) about an applicant, and an ancestor is even more likely to be discussed (about 10&nbsp;? percent) in the hundreds of answers to questions in other people's testimony. This is an advanced, time-consuming strategy with a less than 50 percent chance of locating information about your ancestor. But you will learn about the way of life in the county where your ancestor lived, and much about relationships between his or her neighbors.

+

The most effective strategy is to search <u>all</u> the Southern Claims Commission records for <u>everyone living in the same Southern county</u> as an ancestor. Any particular ancestor is unlikely to have actually applied to the Commission (only 0.2 percent of population), but he or she is more likely to have testified (2.3&nbsp;percent) about an applicant, and an ancestor is even more likely to be discussed (about&nbsp;10&nbsp;?&nbsp;percent) in the hundreds of answers to questions in other people's testimony. This is an advanced, time-consuming strategy with a less than 50 percent chance of locating information about your ancestor. But you will learn about the way of life in the county where your ancestor lived, and much about relationships between his or her neighbors.<ref>St. Louis County Library website, "[http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/scc/scc-geolist.htm Geographical List of Southern Claims Commission Claimants]" (accessed 1 April 2009). Use this list to find all the applicants in a given county.</ref>

−

−

=== Steps of Using SCC Records ===

−

−

These are the steps to use to find '''all''' the Southern Claims Commission records in a county. This strategy will involve reading thousands of manuscript pages with no guarantee you will find a particular ancestor mentioned in them.

−

'''Step 1. Determine the Southern county where an ancestor lived'''.

+

These are the steps to use to find <u>all</u> of the Southern Claims Commission records in a county. This strategy will involve reading thousands of manuscript pages with no guarantee you will find a particular ancestor mentioned in them.

+

<div style="width: 95%; float: right">

+

'''Step 1'''. Determine the Southern county where an ancestor lived.

:Use family records, census, county histories, or other records to identify the residence of an ancestor during the Civil War from 1861-1865.

:Use family records, census, county histories, or other records to identify the residence of an ancestor during the Civil War from 1861-1865.

−

'''Step 2. Printout <u>all</u> the claimants in that county from the''' '''"Geographical List of Claimants'''''<b>.</b>'''''"''' <br>

+

<br>'''Step 2'''. Printout <u>all</u> the claimants in that county from the "Geographical List of Claimants''.''

*St. Louis County Library, "[http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/scc/scc-main.htm Researching Southern Claims Commission Records]" in St. Louis County Library [Internet site] at http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/scc/scc-main.htm (accessed 1 April 2009). Many of the NARA descriptive publications are actually online at this website including:<br>

+

(Note, Ancestry &amp;&nbsp;Fold 3 are subscription sites. Many can, however, be accessed free in the [[Family History Library|Family History Library]] and its branch [[Introduction to LDS Family History Centers|Family History Centers.]] See table below)

−

*St. Louis County Library, "[http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/scc/scc-geolist.htm Geographical List of Southern Claims Commission Claimants]" in St. Louis County Library [Internet site] at http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/scc/scc-geolist.htm (accessed 1 April 2009). Use this list to find all the applicants in a given county.<br>

−

*[http://www.footnote.com/page/71/ Footnote.com], a subscription site also available at some libraries, is beginning to index SCC records.<br>

*Gary B. Mills, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/7210237&referer=brief_results Civil War Claims in the South: An Index of Civil War Damage Claims Filed Before the Southern Claims Commission, 1871-1880]'' (Laguna Hills, Calif.: Aegean Park Press, 1980). [FHL book 975 H22m]. Index in alphabetical order by state, then by name of claimant.

::The approved claims records for the other eight states have never been microfilmed. Fold3 is in the process of digitizing these records directly from the original documents and placing them online. Fold3 is placing the records from the remaining eight states together in one collection named "Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880". Check to see a list of [http://www.fold3.com/browse.php#27|h-knXjBbf states currently available].

−

The records have not all been filmed or fiched,&nbsp;note the chart below to learn what is currently available through the National Archives; the Family History Library (FHL) has not accquired them as of April 2009. As noted below search on line sites for additional information.&nbsp;

+

<br> '''Family History Library'''

−

<br>

+

The records have not all been filmed or fiched, See the chart below to learn what is currently available through the National Archives and the Family History Library (FHL). As noted below search on line sites for additional information.

*Gary B. Mills, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/30591123&referer=brief_results Southern Loyalists in the Civil War: The Southern Claims Commission]'' (Baltimore: Genealogical Publ., 1994). [FHL book 975 M2s]. A composite directory of case file in alphabetical order by name of claimant; also provides county name, office number, report number, and status of claim.

+

*Gary B. Mills, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/7210237&referer=brief_results Civil War Claims in the South: An Index of Civil War Damage Claims Filed Before the Southern Claims Commission, 1871-1880]'' (Laguna Hills, Calif.: Aegean Park Press, 1980). [FHL book 975 H22m]. Index in alphabetical order by state, then by name of claimant.

+

*United States, House of Representatives, Commissioners of Claims, ''{{FHL|452638|title-id|disp=Records of the Commissioners of Claims (Southern Claims Commission) 1871-1880}}'' (Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1945). [FHL film 1463963-76].

Revision as of 17:30, 19 January 2012

Southern Claims Commission

Who Qualified and Who Was Mentioned

Union loyalists in the grey states on this map who suffered losses could apply for compensation from the Southern Claims Commission.

Although only a few people per county qualified for a settlement, the application papers of the Southern Claims Commission typically include questions mentioning hundreds of their neighbors. Neighbors of all races, and classes were questioned and discussed in these records.

had quartermaster stores or supplies taken by or furnished to the Union Army during the rebellion

While only losses incurred in the twelve states in rebellion at the beginning of the Civil War qualified many claims were made from other states by individuals that claimed to reside in the qualifying states during the war. As a result, records from a total of 24 states and the District of Columbia appear in the "Barred and Disallowed Case Files of the Southern Claims Commission, 1871-1880" (NARA M1407) records.

Southern Loyalists (those who were Union sympathizers) made 22,298 claims for property losses totaling $60,258,150.44. However, only 7,092 claims (32%) were approved for settlements totaling $4,636,920.69. Each claimant sought to prove their loyalty and loss through the testimony of others. The paper trail created by the claimants and the people who came forward to testify, for or against a claimant, provide a wealth of information about individuals living in the South during the Civil War.[1]

Content of the Records

Southern Claims Commission records may include information about people of all classes, all races, all political/military backgrounds, and explain their relationships potentially including:

personal descriptions, and accounts of events during the war

military records of claimants, or their relatives

letters, diaries, and family Bible records

wills, property inventories, and probate records

Strategy for Finding Ancestors

The most effective strategy is to search all the Southern Claims Commission records for everyone living in the same Southern county as an ancestor. Any particular ancestor is unlikely to have actually applied to the Commission (only 0.2 percent of population), but he or she is more likely to have testified (2.3 percent) about an applicant, and an ancestor is even more likely to be discussed (about 10 ? percent) in the hundreds of answers to questions in other people's testimony. This is an advanced, time-consuming strategy with a less than 50 percent chance of locating information about your ancestor. But you will learn about the way of life in the county where your ancestor lived, and much about relationships between his or her neighbors.[2]

These are the steps to use to find all of the Southern Claims Commission records in a county. This strategy will involve reading thousands of manuscript pages with no guarantee you will find a particular ancestor mentioned in them.

Step 1. Determine the Southern county where an ancestor lived.

Use family records, census, county histories, or other records to identify the residence of an ancestor during the Civil War from 1861-1865.

Step 2. Printout all the claimants in that county from the "Geographical List of Claimants.

The approved claims records for the other eight states have never been microfilmed. Fold3 is in the process of digitizing these records directly from the original documents and placing them online. Fold3 is placing the records from the remaining eight states together in one collection named "Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880". Check to see a list of states currently available.

Family History Library

The records have not all been filmed or fiched, See the chart below to learn what is currently available through the National Archives and the Family History Library (FHL). As noted below search on line sites for additional information.